WHITE HOUSE MAKES DEAL ON DETAINEES

Well, that controversy has come to an end.  The three Senators...Lindsey Graham, John McCain and John Warner ...  have cut a deal with the White House over the treatment of Islamic terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The Geneva Conventions ban on torture won't be redefined and the CIA interrogators will receive some measure of protection from prosecution and so forth.  This ends the stalemate.

The deal also puts in place the military tribunals that will be used to try several Islamic terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay.  So who wins and who loses here?  Who blinked?  It looks like Bush won, and the Senators blinked --  for one big reason.  The mid-term elections are upon us, and it was beginning to look an awful lot like some members of the Republican Party were defending Al-Qaeda prisoners.

That doesn't play too well in the heartland, particularly with conservative voters they expect to come to the polls and vote for them.  No surprise here....now we get to sit back and see just what sort of trials we're going to have and what sort of justice is going to be dispensed.

IMPROVED RATINGS --- BUT FOR THE WRONG REASONS?

Watching the news last night I must have seen at least three stories telling the viewers that Bush's approval ratings have improved largely because of the drop in gasoline prices.  I don't doubt that it is true.

So .. now it can be revealed.  When I was in the Oval Office last week the president took me to a secret room nestled in between his office and his private dining room.  In the middle of that room there was a table and a single chair. 

"This is the first thing I do every morning, right after I walk Beasley and Barney." the president said as he logged on to the computer.  He then entered an Internet address, then his user name and password.  Four boxes appeared on the screen labeled "regular," "mid-grade," "premium," and "diesel."  The president entered three digits into each box.  These digits would be the prices that consumers would pay for gas across the country until the next time the president logs on. 

So .. there you have it!  The people were right on this one!  The president does set gas prices!  No wonder his approval ratings go down when the prices go up, and improve when the prices go down? 

You know ... I probably shouldn't have done this.  Americans are so economically ignorant they're probably going to believe it.

THANK YOU DEMOCRATS .. AND I MEAN IT

After Hugo Chavez made his toxic presentation to the United Nations on Wednesday you really hear a peep out of major Republican figures in defense of their president.  What of the Democrats?  Well, there were some snickerers out there, of course, but two Democrats did step forward and tell Chavez in no uncertain terms to BUTT OUT.  California Democrat and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Chavez an "everyday thug." Pelosi said: "Hugo Chavez abused the privilege that he had, speaking at the United Nations.  He demeaned himself and he demeaned Venezuela." 

New York Democrat Charles Rangel had some particularly harsh words as well.  "George Bush is the President of the United States and represents the entire country.  Any demeaning public attack against him is viewed by Republicans and Democrats, and all Americans, as an attack on all of us." Rangel made it clear that Democrat differences with the president were essentially a domestic squabble, and that Chavez needs to mind his own business.

Oh, and just in case you thought the warm and fuzzies were going to extend to all Democrats, think again.  Iowa Senator Tom Harkin defended Chavez's comments, saying "Let me put it this way, I can understand the frustration and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush's policies."  Now that's more like the Left we know and love.

Thanks to Pelosi and Rangel.  Harkin?  Well, whatchugonnasay?

HUGO WANTS A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE ... SO WHERE DOES HE GO?

So Hugo Chavez goes looking for a friendly audience in New York yesterday.  This foreign head of state wants a crowd that will laugh with him and cheer his words as he calls our president the devil.  Where does he go?  He finds a black Baptist church in Harlem.  He puts his sycophant Danny Glover on the stage with him .. and proceeds to wow the crowd. 

Hugo Chavez absolutely knew that his welcome would be a warm one, and that his name-calling would be cheered.  I guess it's nice that you can be counted on in that way.

MUSHARRAF SAYS U.S. MADE THREATS

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is going on '60 Minutes' this Sunday and will say that the United States threatened to bomb Pakistan after 9/11 if they didn't help them with defeating the Taliban.  Evidently the threat was delivered by former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage (of Valerie Plame fame) to the director of the Pakistani intelligence service.  According to Musharraf, it went like this:   "Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age."  Excellent. 

So what's the problem?

Well, evidently that's just a bit insensitive.  Too bad.  You have to go back to the state of things right after 9/11 to get into the proper mindset.  We had just been attacked, 3,000 people were dead.  Retribution was about to take place.  We didn't exactly have any assets in the area of Afghanistan, and we needed the assistance of Pakistan...a country we didn't particularly have good relations with.  So Pervez Musharraf was given a choice:  you're either with us or you're with the terrorists.  He made the right choice, one which has benefited himself and his country tremendously.  In fact, it's the kind of threat we should deliver more often.

Armitage says he didn't make the remark and doesn't understand how it got back to Musharraf.  But what's also interesting is that the Pakistani president is expected to meet with President Bush today.  That should be some meeting.

ANSWERING SOME COMMON EMAIL QUESTIONS

Web Guy tells me that we're getting a high volume of emails addressing two or three specific questions.  Perhaps we can save everyone a lot of time by addressing a few of those questions right here.

1. That Alternative to AARP?  Literally hundreds of emails on this one.  I am a charter member of a group called NASCON, The National Association for Senior Concerns. NASCON is a conservative counterpart to the leftist AARP.  Unlike AARP, NASCON supports Social Security Reform and doesn't always look for the big-government solution to every issue facing older Americans.  If you want to know more, here's your link. 
2. Is Belinda hot?  Yes.  Eat your heart out.
3. Why Aren't You Promoting Bob Smither?  Bob Smither is a Libertarian running for Tom Delay's seat in Texas.  Evidently he has an outside chance to possibly win this election.  So, as a libertarian, why isn't Smither getting prominent mention on my show?  Would I like to see him win?  You bet!   But I don't like being slammed with hundreds of cut-and-paste emails telling me I should "shine a light" on his candidacy.  For more on Smither's campaign, you can click right here!
4. What's the Latest with the FairTax?  Obviously the FairTax didn't make it to a prominent spot on the mid-term election agenda. 

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

It's nice when people make the effort to purty up that ol' outhouse. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The Hamas government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip says it won't be recognizing Israel as part of any truce.  This isn't exactly a big surprise....did anyone really expect an Islamic terror group to do otherwise?

President Bush warned yesterday that if the Democrats get control of the House of Representatives, they will raise our taxes.  Good point, since the latest round of tax cuts are responsible for our current economic boom.

The Pope continues his unfortunate apology tour, bowing to the Islamic community for his remarks he made about the peaceful religion.  It really is too bad Pope Benedict XVI didn't just stick to his guns.

That fabulous government information security continues to be showcased by the Feds.  The commerce department has lost 1,137 laptops.  Remember folks, this is the same government that we entrust with our private tax information.

The Republican Party has finally figured out that people want them to do something about the invasion of illegal aliens.  The House bill approving 700 miles of border fencing, should it get through the Senate, will be signed by the president.  But the border is almost 2,000 miles long.  Oh well.

Pat Buchanan reflects on the goings-on this week at the United Nations and says this rivals Krushchev's banging his shoe on the table.  He says the presidents of Iran and Venezuela were just playing to their base.

Charles Krauthammer looks at Islam's reaction to the Pope's comments and finds just a little bit of hypocrisy.  He says the peaceful religion has become quite violent in their reaction to any slight against Islam.  Who's intolerant now?

We're getting down to the wire, with the mid-term elections just weeks away.  Byron York wonders if the Republicans can pull this one out.  Will it be possible for the GOP to win?  Hard to predict, but don't think the presidential approval rating has much to do with it.

Mona Charen has some questions for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, since he's been invited to speak at her alma mater, Columbia University.  They're not very easy questions, either.....but they may remind you why Ahmadinejad is an Islamic terrorist.

David Limbaugh puts John McCain, Lindsey Graham, John Warner in the same group with Bill Clinton and other Democrats who want to appease America-hating countries.  He says it all plays right into the enemies' hands.

Peggy Noonan on Hugo Chavez and the heated level of world-wide conversation.

The Homeless Pets Foundation in Atlanta is holding an adoption fair for special needs dogs this Saturday, September 23rd. More information on the event.

Here's a great excuse to go on a motorcycle ride on a beautiful Atlanta fall day...it benefits the March of Dimes. The Ride to Save Babies is September 29 - Oct 1 and the event culminates on Sunday with the Peachtree Thunder Parade.

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